6-27-14

Me: Last night my sister, Carol and I met at the Phoenix Botanical Garden for their Thursday night flashlight tour. Carol and I bought a year membership several months ago and it's been fun to use our pass for special tours and exhibits! On the tour we met Prince, a King Snake. I don't like snakes but agreed to appreciate this guy because King Snakes eat Rattlesnakes and other venomous reptiles.

A tarantula with a cricket (his food) above him. Bob and I have seen a few tarantulas in the wild. Most recently on our 4 Peaks hike last year.

Scorpion! These guys are just creepy and though I don't like them, I'm not scared of them. I have been stung twice (13 yrs ago) and it was similar to a bee sting with some goofy symptoms lasting 24 hours. Check out the glow scorpions have under a black light. It's a fluorescent protein on their skeleton that glows.

Carol and I explored the herb and vegetable garden. I love this sun dial with tiny golden barrel cactus. Pretty!

I also like this pergola. Rusted iron posts with a mesh covering attached with carabeaners. This is what I want to build in our backyard when we do some backyard landscaping.

We met the resident desert tortoise. They are cool and sadly endangered. Bob and I have come across one desert tortoise in the wild. It was about 7 years ago in South Mountain. Harley discovered the tortoise and went crazy.

Special guest at tonight's flashlight tour; Moccasin, a Great Horned Owl. Pretty sure I'd lose a stare down contest with him. :-)

A wise owl lived in an oak
The more he saw the less he spoke
The less he spoke the more he heard.
Why can't we all be like that wise old bird?

Author unknown (1883). The poem and its moral were used in WWI & WWII.

Carol & I continued our walk admiring the unusual cacti. This looks like something out of Dr. Suess.

Gorgeous sunset to top off the tour and close out our night!